Alaafin blows hot, issues ultimatum to Ooni to withdraw chieftaincy title

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, on Monday strongly criticised the decision of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, to confer the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a businessman, Dotun Sanusi.

The Ooni, at the weekend, bestowed the title on Sanusi during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, held at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan.

Conferring the title, Ogunwusi described Sanusi’s commitment to the cultural and economic growth of the Yoruba race as unparalleled.

But the Alaafin, in a statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Bode Durojaiye, said the Ooni overstepped his bounds, insisting that no traditional ruler other than the Alaafin reserves the authority to confer a title covering the entire Yorubaland.

Oba Owoade demanded that the title be revoked within 48 hours or the Ooni should “face the consequences.”

He said, “The attention of the Alaafin of Oyo and the Titan of Yorubaland, Oba Engineer Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has been drawn to the purported conferment of the chieftaincy title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on a business tycoon, Dotun Sanusi, by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

“The Ooni of Ife is behaving as if there is no authority to check and call him to order. Because of that ‘above-the-law’ syndrome of his, he is in the habit of walking on everybody’s back, including the apex court in the country, the Supreme Court, which had ruled on the exclusive preserve of the Alaafin to confer any chieftaincy title that covers the entire Yorubaland.

“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test. The Alaafin hereby demands revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences.”

The Alaafin further argued that the Ooni’s jurisdiction on conferment of titles was limited, stressing, “The instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi during his installation specifically limits his traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has now been split into three local governments, viz: Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.”

While warning against attempts to undermine his peace-building efforts across Yorubaland, Owoade recalled his earlier appeal to traditional rulers to work for unity.

He said, “It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is involved in our matter; therefore, we must always, at all times, be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.

“But it seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative as a sign of weakness, hence taking decisions that are not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland.”

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for Ooni’s Palace, Moses Olafare, for comment failed as calls to his line did not go through.

Text and whatsapp messages to his lines were not also responded to as of the time of filing this report.